Wizards of Waverly: Exchanged
by Thor2000
Summary: Following the events of my previous story, Alex gives Harper a wish for her birthday, and loses her powers and makes Harper a Wizard in the process.
1. Chapter 1

In a submarine sandwich shop down in Waverly Place on the island of Manhattan, the other storekeepers kept their attention peeled. Strange things happened near it. The rumors were nothing like the ghost stories coming out of the old theatre or the speculation of modern-day gangsters working out of the pizza shop. The Micellis weren't really gangsters; they just played up the myth for business. The Russo family was something else. The parents seemed ordinary to a certain limit. Jerry Russo might not have looked like a handsome man, but his beautiful Latino bride, Theresa, could have been a model or actress. His son, Justin, was gifted, and his younger son, Max, had the mixed qualities of the average boy with the mouth of a smart aleck TV kid. It was Alex the middle child that some of the neighbors wondered about. Strange things happened around her. Mannequins tended to vanish around her to be replaced by similar looking people, objects vanished and reappeared where she was concerned and sometimes she knew what others could not. At best, some whispers claimed she was psychic. Others claimed she was just a bratty yet weird girl. One of her schoolmates thought she was a vampire but for the fact she lived during the day. Whatever the secret of Alex Russo and her family, it was obvious the cute Italian-Mexican girl was something special.

"Daddy…" Alex came down from her bedroom into the apartment loft above the shop. "Can I borrow your credit card?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Jerry was cleaning the breakfast dishes of his family. "Alex, who was it that conjured up Hannah Montana for a wild party here last night while your mother and I was out?"

"Uh…" Alex thought a second. "Justin? Yeah, he's crazy about her."

"And Kelly Clarkson?"

"Justin."

"And Britney Spears?"

"Justin."

"And Jessica Simpson?"

"Justin."

"And Lindsay Lohan?"

"Justin."

"And Carrie Underwood?"

"Justin."

"And Christina Aguilera?"

"Max!"

"Your brother was at the library!" Jerry's voice rose as Theresa entered the room to investigate the argument. "And Max was spending the night with his friend, Spenser…" He wandered around the room still collecting dishes. "I'm still cleaning up from your mess. You had every female pop star here except maybe Mikaylah!"

"I'm not exactly crazy about her." Alex palmed her long hair back. "She looks like someone I know, and it freaks me out…" She looked back at her father. "Dad, please…" Alex followed after her father. ""It's Harper's birthday and I'm still about fifteen dollars short of the locket I was buying to give her."

"How do I know there even is a locket?" Jerry turned to start loading the dishwasher. "How do I know you're not scamming me again? Alex, your credibility with me is about shot right now."

"Jerry," Theresa came round to help her daughter. "We can extend her a little money, and she can work it off."

"No, I'm not giving her any money for chores she'll never do." Jerry closed the dishwashing machine and started it. "I may not be able to strip her of her magic, but I can take her allowance away…" He noticed Alex trying to object. "Just try me young lady! I'll make it two months no allowance instead of just one!"

"But what sort of best friend would I be to Harper if I don't have anything to give her tonight." Alex sounded really desperate for that money. Jerry exhaled deeply annoyed trying to be a strict father and a loving father at the same time.

"Here's what you do…" He turned and looked to Alex. "You look at Harper, tell her you don't have the money for her gift yet, but you'll get it later then give her this…" He took down an old coupon for a free sandwich from the shop and gave it to Alex. "There you go…"

"Dad…"

"Jerry…" Theresa was slowly taking a stand. "We can do so much more than that." Jerry looked at his wife, to his daughter and looked away trying to keep from screaming. Being a father had its good parts, and this was definitely one of its harder parts. Trying to turn Alex into a decent moral person was getting harder and harder, but when he looked at her, he realized she was trying hard as well. He gave in a bit with a hesitant chuckle and stroked her hair like a father.

"Okay," He placed her hands together palm to palm with the coupon in between her hands. "Hold the coupon like this, and say Virbius Fortunatus."

"Virbius Fortunatus." She repeated her father a bit perplexed of what was happening. There was an intense flashing light between her hands like a camera flash. "What was that?"

"That's a wish spell." Jerry confessed. "Wizards give them to their non-wizard friends. Normal people just think of them as good luck, but they're mostly for grant good fortune on those who need it. Just get Harper to make a birthday wish and it will come true."

"Really…" Alex used her devious voice. "So, let's say…"

"Wish spells are voided on wizards, Alex." Jerry looked at her. "How stupid do you think I am to give you a wish spell that you could use yourself. That wish is for Harper."

"Of course…"

"Alex!!" Justin yelled up from the shop. "Harper's here!"

"Honey…" Theresa scooted her daughter off. "You go on off to school, and you give that wish to Harper. She could get that locket after all."

"Yeah…" Alex collected her books and started down the steps directly into her family's sandwich shop instead of down the back way through the kitchen. Guiding herself down by her left hand, her feet ringing against the iron spiral staircase, she looked over to Harper Evans. She had been her best friend since grade school, and in some way, she had never changed. Although she was fifteen, now going on sixteen, Harper had yet to grow out of coloring books, pre-school stickers and a love for delicacies no wilder than peanut butter and jelly. About the only purely teenage thing about her was her unrequited infatuation for Alex's older brother, Justin.

"So…" Harper beamed to Alex. "My birthday party is after school today. When are you giving me my gift? Now or later?"

"Well…" Alex stood in the center of the shop and looked back to her father staring back at her from the stairs. He looked and watched her carefully. Alex turned back to her best friend.

"I'm going to have to give you your gift next month." Alex confessed. "I'm a bit strapped for cash." She looked back to her father. He was smiling to see she did the right thing. "So, in the mean time, I have this coupon."

"A coupon?" Harper was a bit dismayed as she looked over the lackluster offer. "For a free sandwich? Alex, as your best friend, your mother already gives me free sandwiches."

"I know, but…" Alex was thinking and improvising on the spot. "Why don't you think of it as an early birthday wish? I mean, there must be something you really want."

"Well, yeah, there are a lot of things I'd really like…" She shined and smirked a bit hearing Justin move past her to head to school.

"See you at school…" He waved to them.

"See you, Justin…." Harper mooned for the older brother of her best friend and sighed a bit. Alex just rolled her eyes and wondered why out of all the cute guys at her school that her best friend would pick her older brother to harbor an infatuation. Harper sighed dreamily watching Justin heading onward to school.

"So," Alex knocked her back to reality. "Why don't you think what kind of wish you want for your birthday?"

"I know something I've been wishing for a long time." Harper felt the pitter-patter of her heart going faster just from being close to Justin.

"Well, what is it?"

"Alex, I can't tell you." Harper looked at her trustingly. "It's a secret birthday wish, and it can't come true if I tell you!" She shook her head with a grin and pulled on her backpack to head to school. She gestured to Alex to hurry up.

"Great…." Alex sarcastically rolled her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Alex… Alex…." A voice was calling. "Time to get ready for school."

Alex Russo groaned, blinked her eyes once again and tried to return to her dreams of being on stage with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers. Maybe even hanging out with Cole and Dylan Sprouse on that TV show of theirs. Harper's birthday party had worn her out. It wasn't exciting or spectacular at all. It was just her, Harper and two of Harper's female cousins with two adults and some ice cream and cake, much like they were when they were still in grammar school. Nothing fun at all although it was quite funny when Harper's grandmother fell asleep watching _The Wizard of Oz_ DVD played for the party. It gave the party girls a chance to sneak off to get pizza and hit on boys at the Italian restaurant. Lying in bed, Alex tried to ignore the memories of the childish and non-fun party and yawned tiredly. In the brief fraction she blinked her eyes, she looked at her room and saw a picture of her brother by her bed. That was enough to shock her awake. Looking again, she realized she was not in her room. She was in a canopy bed with frills and lace. This was not her bedroom! The walls were with covered with posters of Jesse McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, Michayla -why did she look so familar - and goofy dog and cat photos, the shelves held stuffed animals and the underlying décor was of a brownstone apartment rather than her loft above the sandwich shop. This was Harper's bedroom at her house!

"Mrs. Evans… how did I get here?" Alex started getting scared.

"Mrs. Evans?!" Connie Evans wondered about the formality coming from Alex. "Alex, did you have a bad dream or something?"

"Where's Harper?"

"She probably at home with her family getting ready for school."

"Her family??"

"Yes…" Connie brushed her blonde hair back and shifted to her leg as she picked up dirty laundry from the floor of her daughter's room. "I need you ready on time. I'll drop you off at school on the way to the office." She kissed Alex's head. "Your grandmother has your breakfast ready."

"My grandmother??" Alex recoiled in shock. What was going on here? Since when did she wear pajamas? These were Harper's clothes which she was wearing! Down the hall, she heard Harper's grandmother and mother talking. Somehow, some way, she was in Harper's place, and if she was not here, Harper had to be in her place. It had to be a spell. It had to be! She jumped out of bed to hurriedly change clothes. Her feet hit the floor and she stood where she landed to cast a spell to hurriedly change her attire. Nothing happened.

"Where are my powers?!" Alex was freaking out by the second. She tried zapping herself over and over. "Where are my powers?!" This was not going to work! She had to borrow some of Harper's bright pink or neon green clothes if she wanted to or not. The best she could find was a pair of blue jeans and a white sweater with a picture of a rabbit on it. Ignoring breakfast, she raced to get to her home on Waverly Place. When she arrived, something made her stop and look instead of racing on in. Through the window she noticed Harper wearing her clothes and talking to her father. They laughed at something then hugged. Justin was there too, as well as Max. As Alex started motioning closer, her mother entered the shop.

"Harper, honey…" Theresa looked to her kids. "It's a bit chilly. Go get a jacket."

"I got it." Harper pointed to herself as a shimmer of light around her turned into a dark blue cardigan around her. Theresa reacted upset.

"Harper Russo…" Jerry pointed to the girl. "When your mother tells you to go get a jacket, you go get a jacket. I don't like it when you get lazy and use magic when you don't need it. How many times do I have to tell you this?!"

"Oh my god…." Looking in the window from outside, Alex started getting dizzy and started fighting to keep from passing out over the sidewalk outside the sandwich shop. This spell was more reaching than she had thought. Harper was now a part of her family and had her powers? She was now a normal girl with a normal family? This could not be happening!

"What's the use in being a wizard if I can't use my powers?" Harper asked her new father.

"Because magic should not be used for selfish reasons." Justin spoke up. "Right, dad?"

"Exactly." Jerry Russo did not see nor sense the recasting amidst his kids. "As you kids develop your wizard training, you're going to learn how closely your powers are tied to your personalities. I don't want any of you getting seduced by the dark side."

"Dad…" Young Max smirked and scoffed. "That's the Force…. You know, _Star Wars_… _The Empire Strikes Back_…"

"It's the same principle!" Jerry chopped vegetables for the day's worth of sandwiches. "With great power comes great responsibility!"

"And that's _Spider-Man_!" Justin remarked.

"It's the same principle!" Jerry barked at his kids. "Go to school. Go learn stuff. Go stuff your heads with knowledge and information." He guided them to the door and practically kicked them out. Holding the door open, he looked at Justin and Max heading off to catch the bus. Harper even gave him a kiss thinking he was her father, and why should she think otherwise? In her mind, her name was Harper Russo. She was a wizard-in-training learning the practice and discipline in the science of magic, that field of the unknown that encompassed the realm of the paranormal and the anathema forces of earth and the universe. She was going to follow the path of sorcerers and mystics like Merlin and Morgan le Fay.

A few feet away, Alex longed for that legacy once again. Shaking off her fainting spell, she moved and postured a bit dizzy and off step. She had to get her life back. She reasserted her will and turned herself into the shop just missing the friend that had stolen her life. Jerry and Theresa Russo looked up to her.

"Hi Alex." Jerry responded casually to her.

"Hey Alex…" Theresa looked upon the girl she thought was her daughter's best friend. "You just missed Harper."

"Okay, mom, dad…" Alex was freaking as she entered. "Something really bad happened. I woke up in Harper's house and without my powers. I think it's from that wish I gave her."

Jerry and Carmen looked at her without saying anything. They looked at each other and back to Alex.

"That's really nice, honey." Theresa humored her and turned to her husband. "Doesn't Harper have any normal friends?"

Jerry just shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!" Alex panicked trying to prove it. "I'm your real daughter! Harper has my powers. I'm the wizard, not Harper!"

"Alex, you're so funny." Jerry started feeling awkwardly nervous. "I mean, everyone knows there's no such thing as wizards or magic." Theresa had stepped back a bit afraid.

"Really…" Alex became annoyed. "Then… how do I know about the lair and wizard training?"

"Did Harper tell you about that stuff?" Jerry reacted like an angry father. "I am so going to punish her!" He looked to his wife and back to Alex. "Okay, if you really are my daughter, what's the animation spell?"

"Murrieta animata."

"What was the name of the ghost that was in Harper's body?"

"Uh…" Alex reacted a bit. "He was in my body, and he was Max's friend, Nick."

"When adult Harper came from the future, how many kids did she say you and Justin had?"

"Okay, first off, ewwwwwww…." She reacted from that disgusting slant of events. "But it was me from the future, and I said Justin and Harper had two bratty daughters!"

Jerry and Theresa stood speechless for a second. Could it be?

"Jerry?" Theresa finally spoke.

"I don't know what to think."

"Please, you've got to believe me." Alex's eyes started filling with tears. "I want to come home. I don't want to give up my life and be someone I'm not. I like being a wizard." She began crying from the heartbreak. "I want to come home." She reached out and hugged her mother. When she felt Alex's arms holding her, Theresa felt a motherly bond that no magic could break. She realized then that this was her daughter!

"Jerry?" She looked to her husband for answers. "I think she's telling truth!"

"I don't know what to think." Jerry Russo wandered into the sub shop trying to think. He looked to his wife and back to Alex. "What kind of spell did Harper wish?"

"What?" Alex was still crying as she wiped a tear away. "Uh, I don't know… It was a secret wish."

"A secret wish?!"

"But she's always had a crush on Justin." Alex revealed. "Maybe she wished they were boyfriend and girlfriend."

"My daughter has a crush on her brother?" Theresa reacted. "That's disturbing!"

"That doesn't make sense." Jerry motioned back and forth pacing as he thought. "They're not boyfriend and girlfriend, they're my kids… they're brother and sister!"

"Jerry," Theresa spoke up as she passed from the counter. "Girls don't think like guys. When I was sixteen and had a crush on a boy, I always wished we could be together forever."

"A wish like that would do it." Jerry realized the heart of a young girl. "I do recall giving Harper a wish to give to Alex, but if Alex was my real daughter and Harper actually made a non-specific wish to be with Justin, a desire like that would explain this skewering between Harper and Alex."

"How do we put everything back?" Theresa just wanted her real daughter.

"I'm going to have to study that chapter on wish fulfillment." Jerry defeatedly realized what he had to do and looked to the girl he thought was his sister's best friend. "Look, you go to school and come home with Harper and…" It suddenly hit him. "You really are my daughter, aren't you? Why didn't I see it? You look just like Theresa…"

"I love you, dad." Alex reached to him and hugged him close to her soul. Despite what his mind told him, Jerry responded with his heart and hugged his daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Even though she was now Alex Evans, she still had the same stupid classes in school and the same barely passing grades. She also had the same locker and most people recalled her as their friend. Harper, however, was doing much better. She was closer to Justin, her clothes did not look stolen from an elementary school and she seemed more secure. There was also a bit less time between them. Biology class reminded them they were still best friends, but lessons pushed toward them kept them from talking. Sitting in her assigned seat, Alex leaned across to the seat on her right side to her best friend.

"Harper," Alex tried calling to her as covertly as possible. "We got to talk!"

"What about?" Harper took a piece of shrimp from a bowl hidden behind her book.

"Where'd that come from?!" Alex inquired.

"Uh… from my purse?" Harper rolled her eyes nervously from being caught using magic to conjure a snack. She gestured to Alex. "Want some?"

A second shrimp cocktail appeared on Alex's desk from out of nowhere.

"We can talk later." Alex mused happily on her mystical gift and dipped a shrimp into her sauce before taking a bite. Her fellow classmates were too wrapped up in their worlds to notice, but they barely paid attention to the odd things being brought into the classroom. At the head of the class, Mrs. Odom started talking about their lessons for the week.

"Okay, class…" She pulled out the seat from her desk to sit down. A gesture from Harper made the rolling chair roll a bit further and Mrs. Odom crashed to the floor instead of sitting. "…for today, we will… What the?!" Her rear end hit the floor and the class erupted into laughter. Harper loved being a wizard! Smirking off her fun, she restrained her laughter. Alex was watching Harper make secret gestures and terrorizing their teacher. Grabbing on to her chair, Shelia Odom once again lifted herself up and composed herself. She rolled up to her desk.

"Like I was saying," She resumed her role as teacher. "Today, we will be studying…" She opened her lips as a loud guttural belch came up out of her throat and lasted for fifteen whole seconds. The boys in the room were timing her!

"Kids, I am so sorry." Mrs. Odom apologized holding her hand to her chest. "I have no idea what is happening, but like I said, today we will be studying photosynthesis. To do so, we will…" A short squeak came up from the seat of her pants and her face went into shock. It was followed by another squeak of air, a third more louder eruption and then a fourth longer and more drawn out case of flatulence, each one raising her a bit out of her chair. The class was going into hysterics. Girls were screaming in laughter. The boys were making more farting noises under their armpits. Alex was laughing so hard she was getting dizzy while Harper just looked around from noticing the disruption. She twitched her nose secretly under her hand and the plastic human skeleton in the room waved the air in front of its face for a breath of clean air!

"Oh my god…" Alex sampled another piece of shrimp. "She's a better wizard than I was!" She whispered to herself. Mrs. Odom had stood up to leave the room out of embarrassment, but when she did, she realized her posterior had swelled up to the size of the seat she was sitting on! Kids started screaming and laughing again as the embarrassed biology teacher fled the room trying to get her bulging skirt out the door. In her absence, Mrs. Manning the home economics teacher entered the room.

"Who wants pizza?" She carried in five large boxes made by the home economics class. The weird thing was that her classes were supposed to be making soufflés this week. She wasn't sure why she changed things, she just did. That was the way biology class went. Mrs. Odom went to the hospital to deflate her rear, and then Alex was off to history class and Harper had gym class. They would have a break before lunch to talk. As Alex prepared for Literature after lunch, she head the catcalls and cheering applause of boys raising a party in the hall. Something was coming that they approved. Alex looked once and back again. Harper had changed even more since she had seen her in biology class. She was sporting a much more fuller figure; something that belonged more to Jessica Simpson than to her best friend.

"Where'd those come from?" Alex stared at her best friend's augmented chest.

"Um, they're… um…" Harper started planning her lying. "About five boxes of Kleenex??" She turned away from Alex toward her locker, turned her enhanced bosom secretly into her locker and made a gesture to her chest. When she turned back round, her body was back to normal and her t-shirt was no longer on the verge of exploding. She glanced away with a look of ashamed joy.

"Harper," Alex reflected away rolling her eyes for a second. "Look, I've got to tell you something. I know you're a wizard."

"Oh, Alex, that's so crazy!" Harper started reacting with fear. "You got some imagination. I'm no wizard!"

"Oh, I see…" Alex shuffled her schoolbooks as she stood in the hallway. "So, can I come by the shop after school?"

"Oh, you can't…" Harper collected her books for biology class. "You see, I've got wizard training and…." She recoiled in shock and hated herself for what she had said. She tensed up, closed her eyes in disbelief of her stupidity and put her hand to her head trying to think. Alex just stood by smugly. Harper was obviously a much better wizard but so much worse at keeping secrets.

"How long have you known?" She grieved out of fear out of the punishment she was going to get.

"Because…." Alex started to confess the truth then stopped in mid thought. Did she really want to do it like this? What if Harper did not want to give up being a wizard and a Russo? "Because…" Alex changed her mind. She tried to think of what she'd want Harper to say to her when the time came. "I figured it out a long time ago. I think it's so cool to have a friend that knows magic. You may not know it, but… I've been helping to keep your secret."

"Alex…" Harper hugged her friend. "You are the best friend I ever had. I've always wanted to tell you, but I also had to keep it secret. I'm so glad you found out like this!"

"Yeah…" Alex hugged her back. "Exactly like this…" She rolled her eyes a bit. "I can't believe you're a better wizard than I am…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing!!"


	4. Chapter 4

4

Things were almost the same. Alex and Harper walking down Waverly Place for the sandwich shop. Max was sitting in a booth doing his homework as he saw the two come in. Alex came in first out of habit and held the door for Harper. She looked over to her parents reacting the same way she always did.

"Dad, I'm home…" She said it out of habit. Jerry Russo stopped and reacted. Harper turned and made a face to Alex. Why was her best friend calling her father dad?

"What did you just say?" Max looked up confused from his homework.

"I mean, uh," Alex looked at Harper and the confused faces at her. "You've all been like family to me." She looked at Harper. "Harper, you're like the sister I've always wanted… So, your family is like my family."

"Isn't that like so sweet!" Theresa shined at that glowing statement. "And Alex, I like thinking of you as my daughter too." She kissed both Harper and Alex. Harper mused a bit taking her jacket off with her schoolbooks.

"That's one branch of the family tree I'd cut off." Justin quipped as he helped his mother at the counter. "If I even wanted another sister, Alex Evans would not be at the top of my list." Theresa swatted him than bear that insult. He looked at her a bit confused.

"Kids, time for your… um…" He noticed a few customers interspersed with his kids both real and illusory. "Home-schooling…" That was a secret buzzword for their wizard training to use in public. Alex again reacted out of habit, but Harper stopped her with a confused grin. Things were not back to normal yet.

"Uh, dad…" Harper looked to the man she thought was her father. "There's something I need to tell you. You see, Alex figured out that I'm a…."

"Tell me about it later, honey." He stopped her confession and gave her a kiss before scooting her off to the lair. Harper looked to Justin, Justin looked to who he thought was his sister. Alex stood waiting and watching.

"Okay, did you figure out a counter spell?" She asked her father.

"There is no counter spell." Jerry told his real daughter. Alex's eyes widened in fearful shock of not getting her life back.

"The only way to get things back to normal is for Harper to reject her wish." Jerry explained.

"How are you going to do that?" Theresa asked.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…" Jerry rolled his eyes ashamed. "Somehow, someway, I've got to make my daughter pick a fight with her brother."

"You mean my brother with my best friend." Alex pointed out the truth.

"Whatever!"

"What's going on here?" Justin spoke up. Both Jerry and Theresa jumped a bit upon realizing he was listening.

"Justin?" Jerry reacted, looked to Theresa and Alex and back to his son. He took a deep breath ready to reveal the truth. "Justin… Okay, it turns out… There's a spell on Harper. Alex is your real sister."

"What?" He refused to accept that. "Not Alex, dad. Please not, Alex. I mean, sure she's cute…"

"You think I'm cute?" Alex turned to him. "All together now, Ewwwwwwwwww…"

"But I cannot be related to Alex Evans!" Justin refused to accept it. "She's like one of the worst students in school! I cannot be related to her!"

"Honey…" Theresa came round to confront her son. "We need you to pick a fight with Harper."

"Why?"

"In order to void her wish so I can come home." Alex remembered being related to Justin even if he did not. "I want my powers back!"

"There is no way I'm letting you in this family!" Justin shook his finger in Alex's face. "You've been pulling cruel pranks on me since we met! In case you haven't figured it out, I don't like you! I've got one sister, and I don't need another! I like her a heck lot more than you!" Even if he did not recall Alex ever being his sister, he still had the same past with her and knew enough about her that he knew he didn't like her at all. If anything, removing her from the family had increased his distaste of her. He turned on his heel and marched off toward the lair to await his wizard training. Alex stood a bit shocked. Her mouth hanging open, she stared at Justin leaving her and wished she could place a curse on him.

"Alex, are you okay?" Theresa looked to her true daughter.

"I'm not coming home, am I?" Alex wondered out loud.

"Forget about Justin…" Jerry watched his son march off and turned back to Alex. "He's like us; he has no memories of you as his sister. It's Harper we need to worry about. There is no way those two can keep from fighting. They're brother and sister!"

"Yeah…" Alex dumped herself into a stool at the counter. "Right…." She responded defeatedly as Theresa rubbed her back trying to console her. Jerry headed toward the lair behind the shop. "I'll be home soon… Maybe…" She said it, but she didn't believe it. "No matter what happens…." Alex turned and looked to her mother. "You'll always be my mom, right?"

"Always…" Theresa hugged her true daughter despite whatever spell was telling her.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Behind the large extra freezer door in the downstairs kitchen was a large room decorated in the style of dungeons and dragons. The room was styled in a Celtic-motif, mystical tomes and books were stacked everywhere amongst scrolls, statues, totems and exotic plants. Max was seated on the end of a large Victorian sofa with Harper at the other end, her legs pulled up under her as she admired the statue of a faerie from her side. Justin sat across from them in an easy chair on the other side of the cluttered table as their father relocated the last chapter in his old spell book.

"Okay, the last time we were on potions and elixirs and how to mix them." Jerry started speaking. "Justin, I gave you an A for your potion for restoring fruit that had spoiled."

"Practical…" Justin smirked proudly. "I always wanted to be able to do that."

"Max," Jerry returned another project. "I gave you a B for effort, but I don't think the world is ready for a potion that turns mud pies into chocolate cake."

"Why not?"

"Because they look like chocolate cake, but I still taste the mud." Jerry lightly shook his head as he turned to his daughter. "And Harper… I gave you an A for your potion for clearer skin. Look, honey, I still feel like I'm glowing!"

"And so much more handsomer too, daddy!" Harper shined over her grade. Jerry beamed to her feeling younger for his wife. Beyond his senses, the barely closed door to the lair creaked just a bit as Alex sat on the tiled floor of the kitchen and wished she could be with them. She rolled her eyes disgustedly. That should have been her!

"Okay, for today…" Jerry changed his lesson plan to steer to a lesson to void wish spells. "I want to re-review the chapter on truth serums and honesty spells. Now, if you recall, I gave you a spell for making people around you to tell the truth, but technically, you don't need to say the spell, you can just think it and wave your wand like this." He waved and pointed his old wand before passing it to Justin. "Give it a chance, Justin." He knew he'd focus a truth spell on his sister, but Justin was slightly annoyed at someone else right now.

"Alright," Justin focused on Max. "What happened to the last of the chicken from last night?!" He waved his wand at his brother. Max became zapped by the spell.

"I found where you hid it!" Max confessed. "I ate it as a midnight snack before you even woke up!" Max slapped his hands over his mouth for telling the truth. Harper began laughing.

"You said you didn't like it!" Justin had really liked the lemon-roasted chicken his mother had made the night before. "I was going to save it for my lunch this morning."

"I know, I lied…" Max confessed again. "I claimed I hated it because I didn't want you to know I liked it!" He tried to stop himself from telling the truth.

"My turn! My turn!" Harper took the wand and aimed it Justin. "Okay, Justin, are you the one who put the itching powder through my underwear drawer!" She zapped him.

"No, Max did that as revenge for the bug you made him eat." Justin revealed. "I'm the one who sent you the fake autograph from Jesse McCarthy that you kissed for four days!"

Jerry knew he should stop this, but he was waiting for Harper to reject Justin as her brother.

"You did that?!" Harper reacted upset. "I sent him a letter thanking him for it! Did you also send me the autograph from the Jonas Brothers?" She zapped him again.

"No, that was real!" Justin revealed. "But I did give you the frame to hang it up. Mom just put up for me."

"Justin…" Harper changed her mood and became nice. "That was the nicest thing in the world. You are like the best brother ever!" She hugged him. Jerry slapped his head in annoyed frustration. That stunt had done nothing but bond them even more. Justin looked over to his father and realized what he had tried to do to split them up.

"And you're the best sister ever." He hugged Harper back. "You make me try to be a better person."

"You make me a better person too!" Harper hugged Justin as well. Jerry had his head in both his hands upon realizing how this had turned out.

"That's it!!" Alex stormed the lair upset and ready to fight for her life back. "I want my powers back!" Her father reacted with surprise. Max stood at attention confused at what was happening.

"What?" Harper looked at Alex confronting her.

"Harper…" Alex returned to the lair. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I gave you a spell that gave you my life and my powers, and I want them back!"

"What, wait…" Max was reacting to these revelations. "Alex Evans is a wizard too?"

"No," Justin turned round. "She's our real sister."

"Our real sister?" Max was getting more confused. "All together, Ewwwwwww!!" Jerry started reacting to try and control the disaster that was occurring, but Harper was getting more confused.

"No, you're lying!!" Harper waved the wand. "Tell the truth!!" She zapped Alex!

"I gave you a spell for your birthday yesterday!" Alex confessed beyond her control as her father watched how well things were happening. "When you wished you could be with my brother, you took over my life and got my powers!" She paused distraught trying to catch her breath. Jerry now stood back as things continued unfolding. Harper dropped the wand out of shock. She wasn't a wizard? Justin and she weren't even related? Max sat eating popcorn watching the fighting.

"No!" Justin caught the wand when Harper lost it and aimed it at Alex. "You are not my sister! You will never be my sister! I hate you! You're nothing but a stuck-up would-be diva that manipulates others to get what she wants! You're the meanest nastiest person I've ever met and I hate you! I wish we'd never…"

"Justin!" Jerry stopped him from saying it. "Give me the wand!"

"No," Harper momentarily lost her shock to defend Alex. "Let me have it!" She pushed her brother aside and snatched the wand from him as she stood between him and Alex. "You know, Justin… you may be my brother and I love you a lot, but you are really rotten to Alex sometimes. You just got to realize…" She looked back to Alex a moment. "She's my best friend, and I love her too. You know, sometimes, I just really wish you wasn't my brother!" A strange force pulled her head back and rendered her mute. A similar force caught Alex as well. A flash of light came out of Harper and flew around once before entering Alex, and after a bright flash, Alex and Harper had exchanged places. Alex was back in her own clothes and her wonderful mystical abilities were once again tingling through her body. Harper took a deep breath and looked around a bit confused. She felt a bit more normal now, a bit ordinary as if she had lost something special, but she could not recall what it was.

"I'm back!" Alex was ecstatic! "I'm back to normal! I'm me!!" She jumped into her father's arms and hugged him. Jerry beamed and hugged his daughter with all his memories of her reunited. Justin reacted with shock and looked to Max. The two of them had no idea what had just occurred. Had something changed?

"What…" Max was stunned and made unsure by that light effect. "What was that?"

"No…. no, no, no, no, no…." Justin was beside himself. "I was rid of her and now she's back. She's back!"

"Who's back?"

"Alex…" Justin revealed the truth to his brother. "There was a spell that rid us of Alex, but now she's back!"

"What did you do?!" Max realized again he had a sister back in the family he did not want. He pulled Justin down to his size and started smacking him for letting her back into the family.

"Wow, Alex…" Harper was getting her first true memory of the lair. "Your family has a much better rumpus room that I have at home!" Jerry heard her and hurried Alex to get her out of their lair then turned to break up his sons from fighting. Just glad to be herself again, she started leading Harper from the room.

"Harper, you got to go…"

"Alex, did something happen…." Harper was pushed into the kitchen out the fake freezer door for the dining room. "I feel as if I lost something. I don't feel special anymore."

"Harper…" Alex stopped pushing Harper to appeal to her. "You are special. Why? Because you're my best friend!"

"You're my best friend too…" Harper shined and hugged Alex. "You know what's weird?" Harper turned to leave. "But I had a crazy dream you were a wizard or something!"

"Or something she says…" Alex started hoping that was all the extent of her memories of the last twenty-four hours.


	6. Chapter 6

6

It was the calm after the storm. Even Theresa had confessed to having purchased the already cooked lemon-roasted chicken that everyone had liked the night before. She purchased it again to make Justin and Max happy and to keep the piece. The fighting from the day had instigated the quiet evening meal. Justin and Alex recalled a lot of what they had said even if they did not full understand the last few days.

"Alex…" Justin looked to his sister. "I want to apologize for saying I hated you. It's just that… when I forgot you were my sister, I also forgot a lot of the fun we had together. The only memories I had of you were bad ones."

"Apology accepted." She relented and forced a small smile. She stirred her vegetables and mashed potatoes together.

"So, let me get this straight…" Max waved his chicken leg. "Harper really wasn't my sister."

"Nope." Theresa gave Max more asparagus. She looked to Jerry glad to have their family back together.

"So…" Max continued thinking it over. "Alex is the one whose been helping me with my math?"

"Nope…" Alex was back to herself. "That was Harper."

"So, who's been helping me with my homework?!" Max wanted an answer.

"About the only difference were their personalities." Jerry finished up his meal and began helping to clear the table.

"Dad…" Alex sat eating her stirred vegetables a second more before rising to turn in her empty dinner plate. "Is there anyway both Harper and I could really be sisters? I mean, I didn't like not being me, but I liked having Harper to share the secret."

"Oh, princess…" Jerry looked to her, back to his wife and then shared the sweet sentiment with Alex by stroking her sad face. "That's a really nice dream, but… Harper has to be Harper just as much as you have to be Alex. We can't change things to be the way we want them."

"But what's the point in being wizards if we can't change the world to be the way we want it." Max stated the obvious before racing to the TV to watch _Ghost Whisperer_. He took his plate of French fries with him to snack on before the television.

"I'll get to that lesson in another year." Jerry spoke up. "Chapter 23: The Limits and Restrictions of Wizardry…"

"I was just thinking…" Max stopped eating his French fries to look up. "If Harper made a wish to be closer to Justin, then gave it up, shouldn't she still have a birthday wish floating around somewhere?"

"It doesn't work like that." Jerry strided over and tried sweeping the fries off the floor his son was dropping. Behind him, the door to their loft sounded from outside in the apartment building behind them. Alex raced over recalling her plans to head out after dinner with Harper. Coming by again to meet up with Alex, Harper turned round to face the room, the front of her sweater revealed itself before she did. She looked as if she was smuggling the nose cones for a set of Navy missiles in her sweater!

"Alex," Harper looked at their shocked faces. "You ready to hit the mall?"

"Oh my god!!" Alex's eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates. Theresa stood with her mouth hanging in shock. Justin stood like a deer trapped in headlights. Jerry accidentally broke his broom handle in half.

"I'm hitting that chapter on wishes again!!" He raced back to the lair.

"I'll help you!!" Theresa raced after her husband. Even Justin felt a bit odd and raced from the room. Harper looked to her sweater extending a foot in front of her and looked to Alex stunned into silence and looked back to Max.

"I forgot I had these things in here." Harper tried to casually cover her padded bosom with her arms. "Maybe two boxes of Kleenex was too much." She awkwardly zipped up her jacket. "What do you think, Max?"

"What's the big deal?" He shook his head not realizing the situation while eating his French fries. He looked around the semi-empty room. "You just look like you were stung by a bee!"

End


End file.
